Silver Buckle (Camberwell)

Charlie Croker (The Italian Job)

God, it’s good to back in Blighty.

This pint is nectar. Wonderful people the Italians, terrific in the kitchen, but not too keen on the old golden stuff. And their boozers! Tiny little gaffs where everyone stands at the bar nursing a shot of grappa for an hour. Like boozing in a Mini Cooper…. ooops…. there I go again. Force of habit I suppose.

Let’s run with that analogy though…. where I am now is the other end of the scale… a stretch limo of a boozer. Massive place this: like boozing in an aircraft hangar. But it’s familiar. You see, I’ve finally come home. Used to live just round the corner from the Buckle as a nipper, and now that I’ve gone straight, I can’t think of a better place to be. I’ve got a job in the gym down the road where I give people tips on their workouts (“You were only supposed to do 10reps!”), and then you’ll find me in here for one or two once I’ve knocked off… sorry, finished for the day.

The trick is staying on the straight and narrow, in a joint like this. How times have changed in here. I dread to think what Mr Bridger would think. You don’t go looking for trouble in this place – it comes and finds you, buys you a pint and offers you Mission Impossible III on DvD. And as for the service… it leaves a lot to be desired. I asked for my usual just now (Fosters Top) and twinkletoes behind the bar does me a shandy: “You were only supposed to put a top on it!” I told him.

Yea honestly, this place can get a bit hairy. On the other hand, if you’re looking to get hold of the sort of stuff that you won’t find in Somerfields over the road (you get my drift), it’s a regular convenience store. I got offered some blow in here the other day… the geezer’s saying it’s home-grown, and then tells me it’s Nepalese Temple Balls. I mean come on! “Notta lotta people grow that!” I told him – one of my favourite lines.

Now, the Buckle’s not without its attractions any time of day, but it comes into it’s own around 10ish when the karaoke kicks in. Being a well-known face, I tend not to get involved, but I do like watching some of the local jokers get up and mangle a tune or six. This geezer the other night right, he does “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant… and he just keeps repeating the “Walk right down Electric Avenue” line, over and over!! I had to set him straight after the 10th time: “You were only supposed to do the chorus once!”

Well I gotta drink up and go… early start tomorrow, going on a vintage Mini rally down to the South Coast – I can’t totally give it up!

Charlie’s rating for the Silver Buckle - 8/10

Steveo500

Professor Peach enjoys a 'tickle' down in Camberwell too

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  “,….. Why didn’t they live to be 100?Huh? Well, they woz running round all day, hunting mammoths, eating berries,..rumping their little hearts out. No boozing or smoking. They must have been fit as fiddles. Yer Neanderthalls……….I’ll tell you why, it’s … Continue reading →